#library ebook

[sirsreadingblog]

Me When I Finish Reading a Book

[tinynavajoreads]

Tiny Navajo Reads: Library Wars, Vol. 10

Tiny Navajo Reads: Library Wars, Vol. 10

Library Wars: Love & War, Vol. 10 by Kiiro Yumi  ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

*Published August 6, 2013 (ebook version)*

We actually see a little bit more into Kasahara’s past as the Library Task Force travels to her hometown in this volume. It’s good to see what she’s coming from as well as why she’s still hiding her job from her parents.

In the near future, the federal government creates a committee to rid…

View On WordPress

[ravenousreaderhere]

The Screwtape Letters

Yesterday I finished reading The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis. It was very nice to return to Lewis; I always enjoy his writing and The Screwtape Letters was no different. The book is composed of a series of letters from one devil, Screwtape, to another, Wormwood. Wormwood is in the process of trying to affect a human such that that human turns away from God and goes to Hell after he dies. The advice that Screwtape gave at first was really hard for me to read. It felt so dastardly and cruel, and I didn’t like seeing active attempts to turn someone away from God. However, as the story went on, it got easier for me. 

I wound up being rather fascinated by how insightful the commentary was regarding human nature and faith. The understanding of people that’s displayed is rather remarkable - what people do and think and how they react. As always, Lewis was quite thought-provoking. I’m not sure if I’d read the book again, but it was definitely worth it. 

My edition of the book included “Screwtape Proposes a Toast” at the end, a separate essay written by Lewis after the book itself. I found this to be a bit less fascinating, though it had humorous moments. 

Title? The Screwtape Letters. Author CS Lewis. Page count? 250 pages (less if you don’t include the essay at the end). Rating? PG-13 (some commentary to do with sex, lots about Hell, not exactly a book for kids). My take? a fascinating, interesting read that was incredibly thought-provoking.

[ravenousreaderhere]

Change Your Diet by Negative Motivation

I just finally finished The China Study by T. Colin Campbell and Thomas M. Campbell. It took me a relatively long time - I think a month. Before going further, two things to note: one, I am not a scientist or a dietician or a doctor or anything remotely close to it. Two, this book deals with food, the effects of food on the body, and changing your diet to help your body. What is recommended in the book is a plant-based diet of whole foods (read: mostly vegan with lots and lots of fruits and veggies). This diet is proposed as a way to reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, and a number of other things immensely. 

In the beginning of the book, Campbell lays the groundwork and scientific studies for this idea. The result is a lot of discussion of cancer in rats. I found myself getting impatient for the stuff that directly applied to humans. I’m not sure if the author(s) are used to writing for the general populace - much of the book was rather dry and not especially engaging. Then, after a long build-up, there’s the good stuff: eat this way and this is why type stuff. It was incredibly motivational - I’ve actually made some changes to my diet - and much more interesting. The book is effective in its goal of providing highly influential reasons to change one’s diet, despite being long, somewhat dense, and once in a while boring.

Title? The China Study. Authors? T. Colin Campbell and Thomas M. Campbell. Page count? no idea, I read it as an ebook, but it was long. Rating? PG (discussions of breast and prostate cancer; also, intense talk about death as a thing that happens to large human populations). My take? worth it for me, but if you aren’t in for the long haul skip to the practical chapters. 

[ravenousreaderhere]

A Star-Crossed Lesbian Couple in Iran

If You Could Be Mine by Sara Farizan had drama, humorous moments, and a window into another culture; it also checked all the boxes for being a sad tale of a star-crossed lesbian couple. The two main characters are childhood sweethearts in a context where homosexuality is seen as a sin (modern day Iran) whose relationship gets complicated by one of them getting engaged (to a man, not to the other woman). The really interesting part is that being trans and getting an operation is legal… which would make one of the characters a man and therefore an eligible suitor for the other main character. I don’t want to ruin the rest of the book, but the emotional side of dealing with these complications is done really well.

The characters, emotion, and setting for this story is what makes the book stick out. Watching the one character deal with loving a woman and contemplating being trans in the eyes of the government to be with that woman is very vivid and very easy to empathize with. The Iranian context also was fun to see; the setting gave the story a very different spin than would be the case if it were set in the US.  The writing is decent. I would say the best part of the writing was the dialogue — it makes the characters come alive. Other than that, nothing super amazing, but also nothing bad.

Title? If You Could Be Mine. Author? Sara Farizan. Page count? no idea, ebook (also through the library — support your libraries!). Rating? PG-13 (mentions of sex, drugs, alcohol, but no actual sex or imbibing of intoxicating substances). My take? a lovely romantic read.